THE NEW GHANAIAN | 26 | FOCUSING MORE ON THE COMMUNITY - JAN. 2012
College Fair For Africans Kids
Youth at the fair Oil Industry Regulation Lags Behind As Ghana Ramps Up Production Cont’d from 10
pollution. In Equatorial Guinea, oil companies monitor themselves and handle their own cleanups. The ICIJ asked ExxonMobil, how the oil companies conduct self-monitoring in the region and to whom they report. David Eglinton, a spokesman for ExxonMobil, promised a response. He has yet to give one. Dead whales I n S e k o n d i - Ta k o r a d i , Ghana’s “Oil City,” activists from Friends of the Nation work with the communities closest to offshore drilling operations. In two years of monitoring on behalf of local residents, the group’s Kyei Yamoah, has noted an increase in whale deaths. “A whale washed ashore in October, bringing the total number of dead whales on our beaches since late 2009 to eight,” Yamoah said. “After the death of the first whale, (the government) claimed they had taken samples to determine the cause, but they have never made their reports public,” Yamoah said. “Now we have seven more [dead whales].” This past spring, the Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas, a group that includes industry experts, government officials and community activists, issued a “report card” on Ghana’s emerging oil business. Speakers at the report’s unveiling included
Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, Ghana’s deputy energy minister, and Ishac Diwan, the World Bank’s Ghana country director. The report commended the government’s transparency effor ts and the passage of an oil revenue management plan, but gave the industry and government regulators a “D” grade on social and environmental issues. The report said pollution controls and environmental regulation of the offshore industry are still just legislative proposals. Ghanaian transparency advocate Mohammed Amin Adam said the repor t was designed to draw attention to the potential danger the country faces. The attention is needed, said Ghanaian government researcher Cephas Egbefome, because the environment and risks in offshore oil production seem to be non-issues for most politicians and the public. In a country where a significant percentage of the population struggles just to get by, Egbefome said, it’s hard to muster much concern for an oil operation 60 km offshore that few can see. B y C h r i s t i a n e B a d gl e y, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
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in, how to apply for financial aid, and how to organize a resume. Founder, Dennis Bioh and the members of the African Community Resource Center (ACRC) hosted their first College Workshop Day to provide this community with some answers to their inquiries, and insight into the best approach towards embarking on a journey toward higher learning. This event was also orchestrated to shed some light onto the mission of ACRC and what the organization seeks to accomplish in the African community. To a c c o m m o d a t e a l l at t e n d e e s , t h e eve n t w a s divided into four parts: College Search and Application Process, Financial Aid and Advice, Application Letters, and Resume Building. Guiding the Journey Partners of ACRC did a presentation of the ten main things for prospective college students. Ms. Erica Danquah did a phenomenal job at educating the audience about the preliminary measures that must be taken, or at least considered, during the “College Search and Application Process” portion of the workshop. Ms. Danquah also discussed a variety of personal factors that prospective college students need to be aware of in order to determine which institution is most compatible and suitable for their scholastic and overall future goals. Business partners, Mr. Leon Mensah and Mr.
William Bruno presented the Financial Aid/Advice segment of the college workshop. Both Mr. Bruno and Mr. Mensah spoke to a general body of guests, but also hosted more condensed sessions to answer personal questions presented by students and parents alike. Mr. Mensah and Mr. Bruno also shared some alternatives to attaining a college degree outside of the traditional four year term at a university. Next, Ms. Rita Kusi lectured on the subject of constructing an Application Letter for admittance to a college and for employment. Ms. Kusi’s presentation primarily addressed the purpose of an application letter, and how it should be structured to most effectively convey its purpose to admissions officers. The Résumé portion of the ACRC College Workshop was hosted by Mr. Yaw YeboahKankam. Mr. Yeboah-Kankam’s presentation explained the purpose and potential power of a well structured résumé. Mr. Yeboah-Kankam also stated that, “…a résumé is a tool that all college students must equip them with if they intend on entering the professional realm." “It's never too early to start preparing for college. That is why students, parents, mentors and volunteers are encouraged to participate in the ACRC’s Road Map to College Workshop. Education is the only means through which we can achieve success and can be an effective member of society. However, we need the guidance and mentoring
in order to achieve that goal. I am impressed with the conviction that the African Community Resource Center will be the center to promote education and progress for stable posterity, as well as will allow us to raise a generation of young people that are prepared to assume leadership of the future,” said Dennis Bioh, President of The African Community Resource Center. With partners including Guiding the Journey, West African Collaborative, The S k i l l S o u r c e C e n t e r, a n d Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. The amount of enthusiastic support received has been phenomenal. “We are determined to go the direction of the program by the feedback we received from the participants," Dennis said. The date is set for the followup on February 25th “the workshop will have a specific focus, but in the workshop phase individuals will have time to work on their particular projects," Dennis said. Students and parents can bring whatever they are working on related to the college preparation process and mentors will be on-hand to provide feedback and assistance. "We welcome anyone with expertise on writing a college application, the financial aid process, etc. to share their expertise. Ideally, we'd like to have a mentor or a facilitator to help every participant who attends," he said.